This blog post reinforces what you may already believe about the distractions of technology in the learning process. It's not surprising that researchers found students were only working about 65% of the time they thought they were working hard on their homework.
Multi-tasking Research
The New York Times is on the same page with this article about distractions:
Toggling Tasks
There is no such thing as multi-tasking-- just high speed work.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me think of a related topic though-- how easily we can become rude to others... So, a question: Should you ever check your phone or answer it during a conversation with a kid-- or a peer? I say no. Years ago, when I was a college counselor, I answered the phone while meeting with a student. She commented immediately after I apologized: " No problem, but now I know our conversation isn't that important to you." I've never forgotten that.
A great argument for turning off your computer and phone. This is also discussed in Quiet: The Power of Introverts where the author cites studies showing that the 'open office' format of Mayor Bloomberg fame often causes people to get little work done.
ReplyDelete